Looks like the rain is gone til Thursday or so. I am planning on putting the finishing touches on Cabin 02 this morning, then figgering out what the next project will be. Combine 06 is the only thing left unfinshed on the bench. Need to take a look at it to see what I need to finish it. Still hoping to do some trackwork next weekend, and I've got to do some switch stands. I've got an idea for some simple and good looking throws, just need to experiment a little to get it to work properly. I start back on the 09-1900 shift this week, so looks like most of the railroading will gon on in the mornings or late evening. I'm going to try to operate every Sunday weather peermitting.
Bob stuumbled across a really interesting operations program that looks like it will work pretty good for a one man band show like me. I didn't mess with it much yesterday, but might piddle with it a bit today since I don't have many pending projects.
13:11
Cabin 02 is outshopped. Must admit I'm rather pleased with it. I think I'll leave it unweathered this winter so that it will stick out like a sore thumb. Not 100% decided on what to work on next. No6 needs to be upgraded to a more scale appearance to fit in with the rest of the fleet. She looks a bit crude at the moment compared to the rest of the Shays. Would have to get it done this week though cause I would need it for an operating session next weekend. Could start on the No1 passenger locomtive. Incidentally I came up with an appropriate numbering system for locomotives. 1-4 are the tank engines, 5-9 Geared power, and 10 and above are the tender locos.
Tuessday,
October 11, 2005
07:25
Carnage began in The Shops last night. I took out the Bachmann 4-6-0 I had stored and stripped it down to its bare mechanism, with eye towards building it into a Uintahish passenger 0-6-2. Naturally she's gonna have a PVC boiler, and these little Baldwins were so tiny that I can reuse the 4-6-0's domes. I am planning on building a new cylinder assembly instead of recycling the Bmann ones like I did with No2.
10:00
Looks like rain all this coming weekend darnit. Bad weather for outdoor work, then again, I may carry on regardless. If I can find some sort of ballast material, I will continue the mainline into Anns Creek, and get it operational, as well as the associated industrial trackage. Then I'll sit down and figger out the "Interchange" operations program and get things moving a bit. Perhaps I'll be able to sneak in some operations on Sunday.
Wednesday,
October 12, 2005
09:50
Didn;t even look into The Shop last night, just too much of the real world that had to be dealt with yesterday, I hate it when life gets iint he way of Railroadin'. I did do some thingkin on the 0-6-2 though. Since theres the possibility of it being run push-pull like the coal trains, it might nneed a 2nd sand dome. This of course would require relocating the generator, and finding someplace to mount an air compressor as well. I'm thinking place one appliance on either side of the smokebox similar to the way No7 is set up. Another thought occured to me, to build a "brownie" coach for a miners shuttle that would be cut into a coal train instead of a regular passenger train. Then the passenger train would only consist of the triple combine with the mail, express service, and what few civilian passengers present themselves for transport. Perhaps a deck roofed car would suffice, or I could go ahead and build a coach that match the combine, and just use it as the brownie instead.
11:30
Since the weather forcast has changed, I'm feeling a bit industrious. Looks like the planned trackwork schedule for this weekend might proceed as hoped, therfore I need to come up with 6 more throws of some design. Should I be really industrious and make up 6 more throws like I have in the Port Lavender yard, or work on something a bit more modest and functional. Just how anxioous am I to burn my fingers with hot brass and a torch? I'm not going to do anything reguarding the wye at Anns Creek, I'll simply extend the main pass the siding enough to accomodate switching and leave the road engins running push pull fashion. No2 will be assigned as the Anns Creek Shifter and carry out those duties. I would like the get the industrial tracks in place as well to allow for more switching operations and the institution of a freight train to the mix instead of piggy backing the freight cars into the coal drags.
Its really strange to see the amount of space I have on my bench now, particulary since projects that have languished since I moved The Shop into its current quarters have been completed. I am now starting a yeat and a half later to start new projects that will be wholly completed in the new building. After this track work weekend I will begin designing the new 50 series hoppers, and perhaps construction can begin the weekend after that. The engine house still awaits finishing, just can't seem to get interested in it though.
16:15
I have hit upon an improvement to my basic switch stand that I think will make them easier to construct and to operate, mainly by putting the arm that the throwbar connects to above the level of the ties and ballast. the throuwbar itsself I beleive can be made up simply of a peice of brass rod insteadd of a carfully bent and soldered rod with measured bits and pieces. If I can find my cutting template, I beleive that I can get an example knocked up this evening.
Thursday,
October 13, 2005
09:55
Spent some time last night and this morning relearning how to burn my fingers with hot bits of brass. I did manage to get the difficult parts of three switch stands soldered up, that being soldering the uprights to the penny disk. Should get the balance of them done tonight and tomorrow if all goes well. Might even do three extra ones to apply to the engine terminal when I get around to working on that again.
14:44
Got a total of 8 stands with the uprights soldered up this afternoon, 9
stands to be installed alltogehter, but I will concentrate on getting the
ones destined for Anns Creek Yard installed first.
Friday,
October 14, 2005
22:15
Was a very good day today! Got lots accomplished. Spent most of the day soldering up switch stands, and finished and mounted 8 of them. Two were fully functional ones done on the bench, the other 6 were what I'm calling 'faux throws'. They look like full switch stands but they are really just lift tabs with a dummy switch stand soldered up on top of it. Thats enough for the whole Anns Creek Yard and associated industrial tracks. Hope to geet an early start on lining, tampping and ballasting in the morning.
Saturday,
October 15, 2005
08:45
Foggy and a bit cool this morning, looks like a grand day for railraoding. I'm going to start in Anns Creek Yard and work my way back up the main to Summit Curve.will have to make a short curves section for the spur siding on the other side of the main. Hopefully sometime this afternoon the trains will run all the way to anns Creek again!
18:00
Anns Creek Yard is back in serevice I'm happy to say, I even got the commisary and supply track installed. The industrial tracks will have to wait fer a bit, but I don;t have the cars for their traffic as of yet anyways.
